Passover seder with Napa wines and Israel's David Broza

Passover party: On Wednesday, Napa winemakers Ernie Weir of Hagafen Cellars and Jeff Morgan of Covenant Wines will pour their premium kosher wines at what is likely to be the most raucous Seder in the Bay Area.

Organized by Michael Dorf, owner of New York's City Winery, at San Francisco's Jewish Community Center (3200 California St.), the "Downtown Seder" will feature a kosher vegetarian menu by Milk & Honey, entertainment by 20 artists and thinkers, including Israeli singer David Broza, and the world premiere of Lewis Black's video "Plague." (The comedian will be one of several headlining acts at City Winery Napa, which opens Thursday in the Napa Valley Opera House.)

Last year's Cabernet Cookoff drew more than 500 visitors to Hall Wines in Napa. (Hall Wines)

Tickets for the Downtown Seder, which starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday, are $85-$140. Details: bit.ly/SFseder.

Cheese challenge: Fake holidays are not something we generally condone. But when the calendar signals National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, April 12, we bust out our griddles with pride. This year, celebrate at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards' third annual "Say Cheese," the gourmet grilled cheese contest. To kick off the contest, St. Francis and The Girl and the Fig are hosting a grilled cheese pop-up at the winery, where visitors can nibble on tomato confit grilled cheese sandwiches paired with St. Francis wines.

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Got a winning grilled cheese recipe? Pair it with your favorite St. Francis wine and upload the pairing to the winery's Facebook page between Saturday and May 17 for a chance to win a trip to Sonoma. Winemaker Katie Madigan and chef Jason Sobocinski will evaluate entries on creativity, taste and how well the flavors pair with the wine. Details for the pop-up: 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, 100 Pythian Road, Santa Rosa.